REFERENCES : When I first collected the plant at Eglon, West Virginia, I 

 referred it to Peck's description of Lycoperdon molle under Morgan's name 

 Lycoperdon muscorum. as Morgan had previously done, and sent specimens so 

 named to Hollos who has since published it under this name. I also figured it in 

 "The Genera of Gastromycetes" under this name, and when Prof. Peck saw my 

 figure he kindly sent me specimens which he had referred to Lycoperdon molle, 

 and stated he did not think it was the same plant I had illustrated and I fully 

 agree. 



SPECIMENS ix OUR COLLECTION. 



gomery 



Maine H C Beardslee. F. K. Vreeland; New Hampshire, C. E. Mont- 

 cry ; New York, Chas. Peck ; West Virginia, J. Gilbert Selby, C. G. Lloyd. 



THE GENUS MITREMYCES. 



Young plants enclosed in a gelatinous exoperidium. Endoperidium 

 dehiscing by slits between raised, rayed teeth. Gleba light sulphur 

 yellow, consisting of globose or oblong spores mixed with hyphae re- 

 mains, and enclosed in a spore-sac lining the endoperidium. Capillitium 

 none. 



This is a peculiar genus, none (excepting Mesophellia) being 

 stranger in the entire puff-ball family. All the species have the mouths 

 lined with red and in one of the American species the peridium is 

 bright red. 



DISTRIBUTION. Four species occur in the United States. M. cin- 

 nabarinus, the most common species, extends east to Massachusetts 

 and south along the Appalachian ranges to Florida and Texas and has 

 been collected as far south as Jalapa. Mexico. M. lutescens seems to 

 be a very local plant, most frequent at Washington, D. C. The only 

 other stations I know, are in Maryland, North Carolina and Rugby, 

 Tenn. M. Ravenelii is of more frequent occurrence but only in the 

 Appalachian regions. M. Tylerii has only been collected near Wash- 

 ington, D. C. No species extends to the Mississippi basin or occurs 

 in the Western States. 



One of the American species. M. Ravenelii, has also been collected 

 recently in Japan. 



From Australia one species M. fuscus (and a small form M. luri- 

 dus) are known. 



The remaining species are restricted to the East Indian Islands 

 and the southern peninsula of Asia. M. Junghuhni is best repn- 

 in collections from Java, Sumatra. Ceylon and the Himalaya MtsJ 

 India. M. msignis is known only from Ceylon, and M. orirubra from 

 one collection. Straits Settlements. No species is known from Europe, 

 Africa or South America. 



THE EXOPERIDIUM. The outer peridium of Mitremyces is of the 

 nature ot a more or less gelatinous volva, differing in this respect from 

 nil other Lycoperdaceae. It presents three types. In cinnabarinus. 

 insignis and utescens, it separates from the endoperidium leaving tho 

 latter relatively smooth. 



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